Folding divider for harvesters.



W. H. CRANE.

FOLDING DIVIDER FOR HARVESTERS,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6| I9I6.

Patented May 6, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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W. H. CRANE.

FOLDING DIVIDER FOR HARVESTERS.

APPUCATION FILED MAY 5, I916- 1,302,768. Patented May 6, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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. APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. l9l6. 1,302,768.

In ven tor.-

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. CRANE, 0F POUGHKEEPSIE, YORK, ASSIGNOB T0 MOLINE PLOW COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FOLDINGDIVIDER FOR flanvns'rnns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

. Application filed may 6, 1916. Serial No. 95,779.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. CRANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldingDividers for Harvesters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to grain dividers for harvesters and has reference more particularly to that type of divider which is adapted to be folded rearwardly to reduce the width of the machine for transportation or storage, the object of the invention being to provide a construction of simple, efiicient and durable form which will retain the divider rigidly and firmly and give it great strength when it is in its lowered active position, but will permit the same to be conveniently and readily moved to an inoperative folded position.

With this end in view my invention consists in combining with adivider and a supporting member pivotally connected with the divider andmachine frame and adapted to swing upwardly in folding the divider, a bracing member pivoted respectively to the frame and divider so as to swing upwardly with the supporting member and disposed above the supporting member in position to brace the divider against end thrusts and strains when it is down in operative position.

The invention consists also in certain novel details of construction and form of the apparatus designed to prevent the divider from being accidentally swung up ward to folded position in the event of the same encountering obstructions in the field, which features will be more particularly described later on.

I have in the accompanying drawings illustrated my invention in the particular detailed form and construction which I prefer to adopt and which inpractice hasbeen found to answer to a satisfactory degree the ends to be attained. It will be manifest, however, that these details may be variously changed and modified without departing from the limits of my invention; and it will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construetion of the parts exceptin so far as such hmltations are specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: t Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forward portion of a harvester as viewed from the grain side, the folding divider being shown down in active position, and the grain wheel being indicated by dotted lines.

F1g. 2 is a similar view. showing the divider swung back to afolded position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, portions being broken away and other partsbeing shownin section to better illustrate the construction.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of the rear endof the thrust linkand the adjacent portion of the frame to which the link is pivoted, the link being shown extended in the. position it occupies when the divider is down in action.

Fig. 5 is asimilarview, partly in section, showing thethrust link in the positionit occupies when the divider. is swungrearwardly to folded position, and the stop on the frame which limits the rearward move ment ofthe link.

Fig. 6 isa horizontal sectional plan view on enlarged" scale taken on the linea -a of Fig. 1... a

Referring to the drawings: a

1 indicates the forward portion of the grainside of theframe of the machineand including the usual grain receiving platform 2, andtthe grain wheel guide 3, a wheel slide 4being mounted in said guide and. adjustable vertically therein as usual, and a grain wheel 5 being mounted on the slide. 6 indicates a grain divider consisting of the divider board 6* and the shield 6 depending therefrom, which divider, when in active operative position, extends in a fore and aft direction. at thegrain end of the platform and [projects forwardly therefrom. t The forward endof the divider is connected with the frame bymeans of asupporting member 7 consisting of twolinks 7 jointed at their rear ends to the frame by means of horizontal transverse pivot bolts 7 and converging thence forwardly and jointed at their forward ends to the divider point by means of a horizontal transverse pivot 8, the construction being such that by swinging the supporting member upwardly on its pivotal connection with the frame, the divider will be swung upwardly and rearwardly in a curved path to a folded position as shown in Fig. 2, the said member when the divider is swung down to active position extending forwardly ata slight upward inclination from the horizontal as. shown in Fig. 1. 9 indicates a standard which is firmly and fixedly bolted at its upper end to the divider board and terminates at its lower end in a depending projection 9 and which,

when the divider 1s down in action, will ex tend in a vertical position, this standard being preferably in the form of an angle bar as shown insection in Fig. 3. When the divider is in lowered active position the lower end of the standard seats in a socket 10 in asocket member 10 on the frame, and it is firmly clamped and held therein by means of a clamping bolt 11 screwed through a bracket 12 on the socket member with its inner end in position to engage in the angle of- ,the standard as shown in Fig. 3.

Disposed .above the supporting member 7 and pivoted at its forward end to the standard at or about midway between the ends of the latter as at 14*, is a bracing member 13 in the form of a link, the rear end of which is pivoted by means of a horizontal pivot bolt 16f to an car 15 projecting forwardly from the frame member or wheel guide 3. When the divider is down in action, this link extends in a horizontal position and it acts connection With the rigid standard 9 to brace andstrengthen the divider against end thrusts and strains acting rearwardly jg the advance of the machine through the field, such strains being exerted endwise on the bracing member by reason of the horizontal position ofthe latten. At the same time in the folding action of the divider, the

bracing member will swing upwardly with the supporting member and will constitute in connection. with said member, a parallel motion causing the divider, to swing upwardly and rearwardly in a curved path. The walls of the Socket 10 in which the depending projection on the standard 9 seats, are straight and they intersect the path of movement of said projection when it leaves the socket in the folding action of the divider, which will cause the projection to bind the socket. This bind ing anti-on may be: readily overcome if the foree to: fold the divider is applied tothe' standard 9 or adjacent thereto, but if said force is applied to the outer end o the divider, thebi dingof t e tan a d in the so ket be me more pronounced by reason if-the natural Spring and bending of the parts, the result being that the diviider will not lee-liable to accidental folding when its forward end encounters obstructions in the field.

the divider thus swung back. to

folded position, it is limited in its rearward motion by means of a stop 16 on the frame member 3, adjacent the pivotal connection of the thrust link therewith, this stop being in position to be engaged by the link when the latter is swun back, and will act to support the samein this position.

The relation of the parts. is such that when the divider is swung back to folded position, the supporting member will extend at a rearward inclination from the vertical, and the weight of the divider will act to hold the same in its folded position, with the bracing link hearing at its lower end against the stop 16.

When the divider is to be folded, the clamping bolt 11 is first released, and by applying a liftingforce on the standard 9 or on the parts adjacent said standard, the binding of the projection in the socket will be overcome, and the divider may be readily swung upwardlyand rearwardly to folded position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a. harvester, the combination of a machine frame including a receiving platform, a divider projecting beyond the platform, a supporting member hinged at its forward end to the divider and at its rear 95 end to the frame to permit the divider to be folded upwardly and rearwardly, and a bracing member hinged at its forward end to the divider and at its rear end to the frame and extending substantially parallel with the 100 supporting member when the divider is in lowered operative position 2. In a harvester, the combination of a frame including a receiving platform, a divider projecting beyond the platform, a 105 supporting member hinged at its forward end to the divider and at its rear end to the frame to permit the divider to be folded upwardly and rearwardly, and a bracing member arranged above the supporting menr 1 her and hinged at its forward end to the divider and at its rear end to the frame and extending substantially parallel with the supporting member when the divider is in lowered operative position.

. 3. In a harvester, the combination of a. frame including a receiving platform, a divider projecting beyond the platform, a supporting member hinged at its forward end to the divider and at its rear end to the 120 frame to permit the divider to be folded upwardly and rearwardly, and a horizontal bracing link hinged at its forward end to the divider and at its rear end to the frame.

4. In a harvester, the combination of a 125 frame including a' receiving platform, a divider projecting beyond the platform, a supporting-member hinged at its forward end to the divider and at its rear end to the frame to permit the. divider to be folded 13d upwardly and rearwardly, and a horizontal bracing link arranged above and in rear of the radius member, said link having its forward end hinged to the divider and its rear end jointed to the frame.

5. In a harvester, the combination of a frame including a receiving platform, a divider projecting beyond the platform, a supporting member hinged at its rear end to the frame and at its forward end to the divider, an upright standard fixed to the divider, and a horizontal bracing link hinged at its forward end to the standard and at its rear end to the frame.

6. In a harvester, the combination of a frame including a receiving platform, a divider projecting forwardly therefrom and movable upwardly and rearwardly, an upright standard fixed to the divider, a bracing link pivoted to the standard and frame respectively, and a socket on the frame to receive the lower end of the standard when the divider is swung down in action.

7. In a harvester, the combination of a frame including a receiving platform, a divider projecting beyond the platform and movable upwardly and rearw'ardly, a supporting member connected respectively with the divider and machine frame and adapted to swing upwardly with the divider, a bracing link pivoted to the divider and frame respectively and movable rearwardly with the divider when the latter is swung rearwardly, and a stop on the frame adjacent the pivotal connection of the link therewith and in position to be engaged by said link and limit the rearward movement of the same.

8. In a harvester, the combination of a frame including a receiving platform, a divider projecting beyond the platform, a supporting member jointed at its forward end to the divider and at its rear end to the frame and adapted to be swung rearwardly to fold the divider, jointed connections be tween the divider and frame to support the divider in rear of the support afforded by the supporting member, and a stop to limit the rearward movement of the divider and sustain the same in folded position, said parts being of such form and relative disposition that when the divider is supported in folded position, the supporting member will extend at a rearward inclination from the vertical and the weight of the divider will hold the same in its folded position.

9. In a harvester, the combination of a frame provided with a socket having straight walls, a divider connected to said frame to swing upwardly in a curved path, and pro vided with a fixed projection adapted when the divider is down in operative position, to seat in said. socket, whereby when the divider is swung upwardly the projection will bind in the socket and will tend to resist the folding action.

In testimony whereof, I have afiiXed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. CRANE.

IVit-nesses G. H. MIoHAELrs,

WM. J. MERKLE,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Patents. Wenhington, D. 0. 

